Discover the natural and cultural highlights of Peru’s southern coast with our Ballestas and Tambo Tour from San Martin Port, specially designed for cruise passengers who want to experience wildlife, history and local heritage in a single well-organised day ashore. Starting directly from San Martin Port, your journey begins with a scenic boat excursion to the Ballestas Islands, often known as the “Little Galápagos of Peru”, where you can observe sea lions, Humboldt penguins and numerous species of seabirds in their natural habitat, as well as the mysterious Paracas Candelabra overlooking the bay. After returning to Paracas, continue inland towards Tambo Colorado, one of the most important and best-preserved Inca administrative centres on the Peruvian coast. Here, explore ancient plazas, ceremonial areas and remarkable adobe structures where traces of the original red, yellow and white pigments can still be seen. Combining the rich marine wildlife of the Ballestas Islands with the fascinating Inca heritage of Tambo Colorado, this shore excursion offers a distinctive way to experience two very different sides of Peru during your cruise call. Carefully planned around your ship’s schedule, the programme includes coordinated port logistics and our Return to Ship Guaranteed commitment, allowing you to enjoy the day with confidence from port to port.
8:30 am – Meet Us Directly at San Martin Port
Your shore excursion begins directly at San Martin Port, where our team will be waiting for you within the authorised port area, just a short distance from your ship’s exit.
There is no need to arrange independent transport into Paracas. After meeting our representative, you will be assisted to your designated vehicle and the group will be organised for departure.
9:00 am – Departure from San Martin Port to Paracas
Depart San Martin Port aboard our comfortable tourist vehicle and travel towards the Paracas Tourist Marina, approximately 20–25 minutes away.
Throughout the day, our operations team coordinates the programme around your cruise schedule, allowing you to enjoy the excursion while maintaining an appropriate return-to-ship margin.
Arrival at Paracas Marina – Coordinated Priority Boarding
Upon arrival at the marina, there will be a short opportunity to use the toilet facilities while our team completes the final boarding arrangements.
Your boat spaces and entrance arrangements are organised in advance, allowing for a coordinated priority boarding process without the need to queue at the general ticket counters.
Once the group is ready, board the vessel and begin your journey across Paracas Bay.
Ballestas Islands Boat Tour – Approximately 1 Hour 50 Minutes
The boat excursion begins with a view of the mysterious Paracas Candelabra, an enormous geoglyph carved into the desert hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Continue towards the Ballestas Islands, one of the most important marine wildlife areas along the Peruvian coast.
As the boat navigates around the islands and natural rock formations, you may observe South American sea lions, Humboldt penguins and numerous species of seabirds, including pelicans, cormorants and boobies.
All wildlife is observed in its natural habitat, so sightings and numbers may vary depending on the season and natural conditions.
After approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes on the water, return to the Paracas marina.
Free Time in Paracas – Approximately 15 Minutes
After returning from the Ballestas Islands, enjoy approximately 35 minutes of free time in Paracas.
Take a short walk along the waterfront, browse the local shops, purchase refreshments or simply enjoy the atmosphere of this small coastal town before continuing inland.
At the agreed time, meet your guide and return to the vehicle.
Journey to Tambo Colorado
Continue inland from Paracas towards the Tambo Colorado archaeological complex, travelling through the Pisco Valley and towards the foothills of the Andes.
The journey provides a striking contrast to the marine landscapes experienced earlier in the day, gradually leaving the Pacific coastline behind and entering the agricultural and desert landscapes of inland Pisco.
Guided Visit to Tambo Colorado
Upon arrival, begin a guided exploration of Tambo Colorado, one of the best-preserved Inca administrative complexes on the Peruvian coast.
Built during the expansion of the Inca Empire, the site played an important administrative, ceremonial and strategic role along the route connecting the coast with the Andean highlands.
During the visit, explore its principal plazas, ceremonial areas, corridors, storage spaces and adobe structures, while learning about the organisation and daily life of this important Inca settlement.
One of the most remarkable features of Tambo Colorado is the survival of traces of its original red, yellow and white pigments, which once decorated many of the adobe walls and give the archaeological site its name.
Your guide will explain the history, architecture and importance of the complex while allowing time for photographs and exploration of the main areas.
Direct Return to San Martin Port
After completing the visit to Tambo Colorado, board the vehicle for the direct journey back to San Martin Port.
The return is carefully coordinated according to your vessel’s official departure and all-aboard time, with an appropriate safety margin built into the programme.
Return to Ship Guaranteed
You will be returned directly to San Martin Port with sufficient time to rejoin your cruise ship.
This carefully planned port-to-port shore excursion allows you to experience two very different sides of Peru in one day: the extraordinary marine wildlife of the Ballestas Islands and the fascinating Inca heritage of Tambo Colorado, all while travelling with the reassurance of our Return to Ship Guaranteed commitment.
Included
Not Included
All our shore excursions from San Martin Port include direct port pick-up and return, so you do not need to arrange independent transport or take a shuttle into Paracas to join the tour.
Our team will meet you at the designated meeting point within the authorised port area, conveniently located just a short distance from your ship’s exit. From there, you will be assisted directly to your tour vehicle.
Pick-up Time
The departure time shown in the itinerary is a reference time. For cruise passengers, the actual meeting and departure time is adjusted according to your ship’s scheduled arrival at San Martin Port.
For example:
Your final meeting time will be confirmed according to your vessel’s official port schedule, allowing sufficient time for passengers to disembark before the excursion begins.
Distances During the Tour
From San Martin Port, the first journey to the Paracas Tourist Marina takes approximately 20–25 minutes.
After completing the Ballestas Islands excursion and your short free time in Paracas, the tour continues inland towards Tambo Colorado.
Tambo Colorado is located approximately 62 km by road from Paracas, with a journey time of around 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on traffic and road conditions.
This inland journey takes you through the Pisco Valley, providing a complete change of scenery from the Pacific coastline before arriving at the archaeological complex.
Return to San Martin Port
After the guided visit to Tambo Colorado, we travel directly back towards San Martin Port.
The return time is carefully calculated according to your ship’s official all-aboard and departure time. If your vessel changes its schedule or is required to depart earlier than originally planned, we may adjust the timing, order or duration of the tour to maintain an appropriate return margin.
Return to Ship Guaranteed
This excursion has been specifically designed for cruise passengers. From your initial meeting at San Martin Port to your final drop-off, our operations team coordinates the programme around your vessel’s schedule.
Our Return to Ship Guaranteed commitment means that returning you to San Martin Port with sufficient time before your ship’s departure remains our priority throughout the day.
Our local team is here to help with availability, private arrangements and special requests.
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